Weekend Preview

Hunter Paniagua

01/10/2013

The world of LSU recruiting heats up in a big way this weekend as the Tigers host their first Junior Day of the year. TSD's Hunter Paniagua previews who's expected to be at Boys from the Boot and also takes a look at where other LSU prospects will be this weekend.

LSU will hold its first Junior Day event for the Class of 2014 this weekend when it hosts its annual "Boys from the Boot" gathering on campus.

This weekend will provide an opportunity for the coaches to get facetime with just about every top prospect in the state of Louisiana for 2014. It also brings together the kids and offers them a chance to better get to know each other.

"Boys from the Boot" will be the first big recruiting weekend directly focused on the 2014 class for LSU, and landing the top prospects from a very loaded Louisiana next year will be the staff's No. 1 priority.

Here's the list of prospects we expect to be in Baton Rouge Saturday, as well as tidbits on each player:

WR Malachi Dupre – John Curtis – The nation's third best receiver in 2014, Dupre will be LSU's top priority at WR in a state stuffed with talent at that position. Dupre's recruitment took off through the summer and into his junior season, and he now holds an offer list of 11 schools — including LSU, Ole Miss, UCLA and Kansas State.

OG Will Clapp – Brother Martin – One of the state's top OL prospects, Clapp has long been considered a battle between LSU and Alabama. He has said those two schools are still coming on the hardest, but others like Texas A&M and Ole Miss have recently entered the picture. Clapp has said he plans to take his time with his decision, and he wants to also check out the other schools that have shown him interest.

DE Gerald Willis – Edna Karr – One of four five-star prospects in Louisiana for 2014, Willis will be one of the more highly-recruited DL prospects in the nation. He has mentioned LSU, Florida and Texas A&M as a top three. He recently got a chance to see Florida practice during Sugar bowl preparation, but said those three schools are about even right now. He also has said he plans to visit those three in addition to Texas, Florida State and USC in the near future.

RB Leonard Fournette – St. Augustine – The nation's top prospect for the 2014 class has been the envy of every LSU fan's eye since the Tigers offered him as a freshman. Long considered a battle between LSU and Alabama, some feel the Tigers have the leg up with the number of elite RBs the Tide have gathered in the last couple of classes. Fournette has said he doesn't plan to make a decision until the end of his senior year, but this visit will be a great opportunity to leave an impression on the elite RB.

OT Cameron Robinson – West Monroe – One of Louisiana's other five-star prospects comes from the West Monroe pipeline, and landing Robinson's talents is a major priority for LSU in 2014. He has mentioned LSU in a top four with Alabama, Texas and Texas A&M. He has also said that he wanted to open things up a bit and possibly consider some other schools as well. Another player that has said he's in no hurry to make a decision, Robinson could come out of the weekend high on LSU.

WR Trey Quinn – Barbe – Quinn had one of the more impressive seasons for a WR in 2012, and his stock has blown up accordingly. Rumored to consider LSU and Texas A&M his two favorites, Quinn has said other schools like Stanford and Notre Dame have worked their way into the picture. The homestate connections will be big for LSU, with Quinn saying he'd like to have a decision made before the start of his senior year.

OG Garrett Brumfield – University Lab – Despite going to high school on LSU's campus, Brumfield may be one of the 2014 prospects most likely to venture out of state. He recently mentioned Texas A&M, Florida and Florida State as schools that are standing out most, but LSU will stay in the race as long as possible. He has also said a decision could happen before his senior season, so it would be in LSU's best interest to make a strong impression on this four-star OL prospect on Saturday.

TE Jacory Washington – Westlake – Washington has set himself apart as LSU's top TE priority for the 2014 class. The nation's No. 3 TE for 2014 blew up in the summer, picking up offers from LSU, Alabama and Texas A&M in a week span. He has mentioned he will also go to junior days at Ole Miss and ULL, and he recently participated in the Under-Armour Combine. After taking talented TE prospects Desean Smith and Logan Stokes, LSU will hope to land Washington to continue building the position for the future.

DB Laurence Jones – Neville – Another five-star prospect out of Louisiana, Jones may be one of the more versatile DB prospects in the nation. The teammate of 2013 commit John Diarse, LSU likes where they stand with this elite prospect. Jones plays his recruitment quietly, but it's believed it will come down to LSU and Alabama. Other schools like Ohio State and Texas A&M are in the picture as well.

DE Davon Godchaux – Plaquemine – One of the players that could potentially receive an offer this weekend, Godchaux has long been on LSU's radar. While he mentions other schools like Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and Nebraska, most feel LSU would be in prime position should they extend him an offer.

LB Kenny Young – John Curtis – Another prospect to come out of that John Curtis powerhouse, Young is patiently waiting for that much-anticipated offer from LSU. Young also competed in the UA Combine, and he has said he hopes an LSU offer is in the near future.

WR Cameron Sims – Ouachita – One of several talented WR prospects in the state for 2014, Sims has yet to receive an offer from LSU. He does hold offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss and Washington. The two-sport star (basketball) has also received offers for both sports from Louisiana Tech and ULM.

QB Donovan Isom – Destrehan – One of the state's top QB prospects for 2014, Isom is still searching for his first offer. The 6-foot-5 signal caller has also said he intends to check out ULL, Tulane and Ole Miss in the near future.

DB Ricky Gibson – Marksville – Another talented Louisiana prospect without an offer, Gibson has said he has received interest from ULL and Tulane, in addition to LSU. He also said if the Tigers were to offer, he would likely commit on the spot.

RB Darrell Williams – John Ehret – Though mostly unknown in the recruiting world, some have considered Williams one of the top RBs in the state behind Fournette.

DT Garrald McDowell – Covington – McDowell has only one offer — from Kansas State — but interest is picking up on this DL prospect. At 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, McDowell could be an interesting prospect on the defensive line.

TE Anthony Jones – Edna Karr – Though he played sparingly behind Miami commit Standish Dobard, some have said he may have been Karr's best TE in 2012.

OL Bailey Granier – South Lafourche – At 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, he's certainly one with enough size to get a serious look on the college level.

TE/DL Clay Moffitt – Catholic (Baton Rouge) – He is the son of LSU Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Tommy Moffitt.

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Though the LSU coaches will be focused on 2014 prospects this weekend, some of their 2013 targets will be hitting the road to visit other schools.

Reuben Foster will make an official visit to Washington this weekend, making the cross-country trip for the first time since the summer. Foster also has a visit scheduled to Georgia on Jan. 25. He has mentioned LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Miami as schools that could also receive visits, but nothing is planned yet.

Tashawn Bower will take an official visit to Florida State this weekend. He will also head to Florida the following weekend and LSU on Jan. 25. Rutgers and Auburn are also in the mix.

Tim Williams will make an official visit to Alabama this weekend. Williams will then make a trip to Miami on Jan. 18 and Florida State on Jan. 25. He has also said he intends to visit LSU and Texas A&M, but no dates are scheduled yet.

Tahaan Goodman will take an official visit to Oklahoma this weekend. He has also reportedly scheduled an official visit to LSU for Jan. 18. UCLA has long been considered the favorite with USC, Texas A&M and Miami also in the mix.

Eddie Jackson, an under-the-radar WR prospect, will visit Florida State this weekend. Though that is the only visit he has set up, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas are also expected to receive visits.